Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
1522 HikesEnglish Boom
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 0.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 9 feet
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Highest Point
- 13 feet
English Boom County Park is an all-season area that offers bird watching, beach combing, wildflowers and views of the Cascades. It is also a historical area with remnants of early logging operations for transporting logs by rail and water. There are picnic facilities and wheelchair-friendly boardwalks and a viewing platform. A short walk takes you through an estuary cut through with small channels. A small parking lot accommodates about ten vehicles which includes some spaces along the end of the road.
Railroad Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 380 feet
Walk along an old-railroad-track-turned-trail through the city of Bellingham.
Samish Crest Open Space
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 3.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 490 feet
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Highest Point
- 880 feet
Connecting the Puget and Samish neighborhoods of Bellingham is the Samish Crest Trail, meandering through the Samish Crest Open Space, where hikers will find even more trails to explore.
Skyline Lake Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
Dramatic mounds of snow, a frozen lake and sweeping views into the Alpine Lakes and Glacier Peak Wildernesses await snowshoers at Skyline Lake. Easily accessed from the Stevens Pass ski area, this steep and rewarding ridge walk is a classic on a sunny day.
North SeaTac Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
This small park near the SeaTac airport is great for outdoor sports lovers — baseball, soccer, basketball, disc golf, even BMX! — and those seeking some urban trails.
Dumas Bay Sanctuary
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.4 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 80 feet
This small 20-acre park offers visitors access to the beach along Dumas Bay.
Brightwater Center
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 120 feet
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Highest Point
- 290 feet
Don’t let the thought of the Brightwater Treatment Plant prevent you from hiking through the Brightwater Center’s 70-acre suburban wetland and woodland preserve that serves as a refuge for local wildlife and plant species. The trails at Brightwater are ideal for families, birdwatchers, pets, and children.
Columbia Hills State Park - Horsethief Butte
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 498 feet
Horsethief Butte, one part of the expansive Columbia Hills State Historical Park, is composed of hexagonal columns of Wanapum basalt flows that were scoured by the Ice Age floods some 10,000 years ago. Rock climbers are attracted to the sheer cliff faces but hikers and scramblers will find a marked route to the summit.
By Pass Trail
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 0.2 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,256 feet
A short access trail from the Clay Pit Road that connects with the Cave Hole Trail and others to make endless loop options on Cougar Mountain.
Lake Whatcom Park - Hertz Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
Enjoy lakeside views and the surrounding hills plus waterfalls and giant old Douglas-fir trees from an old railroad grade of the Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railway that borders the southeast shore of Lake Whatcom.
Mount Spokane State Park - Upper Trail 140
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 6.2 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,790 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,867 feet
From dense forest to subalpine views, trail 140 extends from the base of the mountain all the way to the summit of the State Park's namesake peak.
Cramer Lake
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 3.4 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 950 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,067 feet
The south end of the William O. Douglas Wilderness is rolling country swathed in mature forest that is interrupted by dozens of named, and many more unnamed, lakes. A visit to scenic Cramer Lake, with its clear water, good fishing, and comfortable campsites will leave you wanting to explore deeper into the Tumac Plateau.
West Peak
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
A half mile shortcut from the Chybinski Loop Trail to the junction with the Bullitt Gorge Trail on Squak Mountain.
Burfoot County Park
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 3.0 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 200 feet
A charming little escape on Budd Inlet, just north of the City of Olympia.
Bloedel Reserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.4 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
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Highest Point
- 230 feet
This 140-acre public garden has trails, a reflection pool, a Japanese garden and more. Visitors must obtain a timed ticket in advance online.
Bear Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 75 feet
If the rugged trek to Pinnacle Lake is too much, but you still want a nice hike to an alpine lake, try Bear Lake. The Pinnacle Lake trail passes Bear Lake, which makes a great destination for new hikers, or those who just want a short stroll.
Nike Horse Trail
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 0.3 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 39 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,223 feet
A way from the Sky Country Trailhead on Cougar Mountain to access the Cave Hole Trail via a loop with Old Man's Trail.
Miller Peninsula-Thompson Spit
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 880 feet
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Highest Point
- 360 feet
This wooded walk enters a lush ravine lined with remnant old-growth and gives way to an isolated beach with views of Protection Island.
Clay Pit Road
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 358 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,479 feet
A short amble along a road in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.
Capitol State Forest - McLane Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 60 feet
This is one of the best places to go if you're looking for wildlife and a little leg-stretchers. McLane Creek's boardwalk provides an intimate glimpse into nature, whether it's swimming families of news, spawning salmon, or laughing ducks. As always, please refrain from feeding the wildlife.
Deception Pass State Park - Hoypus Point
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 6.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 400 feet
A great trail for solitude and a cloudy winter day, this is a forest walk, complete with old growth giants, mature alder and a green understory of sword ferns. A tree huggers hike! This loop will give you a nice variety of forest ecosystems.
Bullitt Gorge
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
Hike down the south side of Squak Mountain, connecting with the May Valley Loop Trail or the Perimeter Loop Trail.
Puget Park - Seattle
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles of trails
Visit a wildlife-filled greenspace with a burgeoning trail system in West Seattle.
Lake Sacajawea
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 191 feet
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Highest Point
- 43 feet
Known as the jewel of Longview, this man-made lake in Southwest Washington is a delightful way to spend a couple of hours. Maple trees blaze red, orange and yellow in autumn, willows provide shade in spring, and the stark skeletons of those trees stand out against grey skies in winter. With various bridges crossing it, it's possible to venture all the way around it, or create smaller loops as needed
Ike Kinswa State Park - Lake Mayfield Trail
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 2.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 446 feet
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Highest Point
- 482 feet
Connect campsites along scenic Mayfield Lake with the Ike Kinswa State Park Campground Loop.
Cave Hole
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 413 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,196 feet
A short hike out to an interesting remnant of the mining activity that took place on Cougar Mountain.
Wellington Ghost Town
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 20 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,000 feet
Follow a gentle path along the eastern portion of the Iron Goat Trail near Stevens Pass, once the original path of the Great Northern Railway. Visit the townsite of Wellington (later named Tye) known for the first Cascade Tunnel and as the site of one of the worst natural disasters in US history.
Deception Pass State Park - North Beach
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
A wooded hike from the West Beach area of Deception Pass State Park to the North Beach Parking area. Enjoy the numerous side trails to the wonderful beach and rock outcroppings along the way.
Patterson Mountain
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,070 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,520 feet
This short hike to the top of Patterson Mountain provides great views across and along the Methow Valley from Twisp to Mazama, while to the west lies the Sawtooth Range.
Northwest Timber Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,500 feet
The Northwest Timber Trail can be an easy first hike for young hikers, or it can be a pleasant stroll for experienced hikers when they have limited time. For many, this trail is a gateway to other routes that lead to more distant goals, such as the Silent Swamp Loop or the Preston Railroad Grade, or to forest roads that lead to the summit of East Tiger.
